Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a "double lock" system is in operation with regard to the transfer of services from Stafford Hospital, whereby management from both that hospital and the receiving hospital agree that there is overall capacity available, and an independent body reviews the decision before it is implemented.

The Trust Special Administrators and local organisations are working together to ensure that the recommendations are implemented to secure safe services for patients across Staffordshire.

These changes are moving towards the implementation phase and we have been clear that services can only move if it is safe to do so as agreed by both organisations and also externally validated (the ‘double lock’).